


I Saw Your Ghost Tonight

by DustyTales



Series: Ghost on the Dance Floor [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Titans (TV 2018), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Flashpoint (DCU), Men Crying, Multi, Pre-Slash, Reunions, Romani Dick Grayson, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 23:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18980185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustyTales/pseuds/DustyTales
Summary: Dick has settled into his new life with the Titans, but something still feels missing.Many things come to light when an old friend shows up at Dick's door.





	I Saw Your Ghost Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> This is very self indulgent and mostly written as catharsis. I think it's very good and raw, but it may not be to your tastes.  
> This fic follows Flashpoint speedforce rules, so enjoy that!
> 
> Also this story contains references to casual sex and friends with benefits as a healthy relationship dynamic, for those that are squeaked by that. It is not a main topic and only mentioned in passing.
> 
> Inspired but barely conforming to the song Ghost on the Dance Floor by Blink 182, though the Scratch 21 cover inspired it specifically.

Dick Grayson was a light sleeper, paranoia had a way of doing that to you. Anyone who knew Dick would probably be shocked by this, given he was impossible to get up in the morning and slept the latest of the Titans by far.

They didn't need to know that Dick spent most of his time in bed meditating and pretending to be asleep so he could get 10 seconds of peace. Not even Kori had picked up on it, but given the two had only shared a bed a handful of times, it really wasn't surprising the team often let Dick "sleep late."

Dick meditating and very much  **not** asleep would be why he heard every second of the exchange that took place at the team's front door.

No one really questioned the knock at the door; Kori had a habit of shopping online that she was quickly teaching to Rachel. No, it was who was at the door once Garfield answered that had the two teens scratching their heads.

"Can I help you?" Gar asked skeptically.

"Oh, uh. Hi." An oddly familiar voice said, "I may have the wrong place…. I was looking for Dick? Um. Dick Grayson."

Dick sat up in bed. What was it about that man's voice that tugged at his heart strings? God, he hoped it wasn't some old fling, he really didn't want to come out to the team  _ like that. _

"No, uhhh… you have the right place. I'll get him. DICK?!" Gar called for him, "You've got a visitor! ...I guess."

The cop dragged himself out of bed, dressing hurriedly before Rachel entered his bedroom and freaked out at seeing him naked. Again.

"I heard ya, I'm coming!" Dick growled when there was a knock at his door.

To his surprise, the door opened anyway, and Dick dropped his shirt in shock.

There in Dick's doorway stood a man he hadn't seen since they were teenagers: Wally West.

And there Dick stood in front of his long missing best friend, half naked with his jeans low on his hips and completely undone, his superman underwear on full display.

A small smile pulled at Wally's lips. "Some things never change, huh?" He motioned to Dick's cartoon underwear.

Dick hurriedly did up his pants, still too shocked for words. It was seeing his three housemates hovering just outside the doorway that forced him into action.

"Living room." Dick croaked out, forgetting about his shirt entirely as he shoved past the four people crammed in his doorway.

Wally followed, and when the two stood face to face in the Titans' living room, Dick finally found his voice.

"You died." He forced out, voice strained.

He let his eyes roam over his childhood friend as Kori, Garfield, and Rachel settled on the couch. He found he didn't care what they thought of his obviously sizing the man up: Wally was all he could think about right now.

God, he'd filled out since they were kids. Wally had gotten even taller, but unlike his teenage years his shoulders were beefier, wider, his limbs muscled rather than lanky. But the freckles on his cheeks and the scar on his forehead were too distinctive: this was  _ his  _ Wally. And the ratty jeans and red flash hoodie suited him so well, he wondered if Walls had owned them before… everything.

"Where the hell have you been? How are you here?" Dick demanded after Wally's silence.

"Dick-" Wally began, taking a step towards him with his arms out, obviously intending to hug him.

"Don't touch me!" The cop snapped, and the silence that followed was heavy.

Wally dropped his hands, eyes sad, but smile understanding. "Batson protocol three?"

The fact he even knew what that meant eased Dick's nerves. It was a check for magic; questions only his best friend could know. "Level seven." He agreed with a nod.

Wally snorted, "Don't make it too easy on me, Dickie-bird."

They began to circle each other slowly, eyeing each other up and taking in every small movement and detail.

The peanut gallery remained remarkably silent, the two teens giving each other wide eyed looks and Kori watching intently with a smirk.

"The honor is yours, Robin my boy." Wally sassed with a wide grin.

Dick grunted, thinking. "How old were we when we met?"

"I was 10, you were 8." Wally answered without hesitation, "Who is my legal guardian and why?"

"Barry Allen, because your dad is a douche canoe." 

Wally snorted, "Douche canoe, nice one."

Dick smiled, feeling more relaxed but continuing the game of walking circles. They still had three levels of clearance to pass. "Who was my first kiss?"

"Barbara, obviously. I was  _ there.  _ Quit lobbing me soft balls." Wally seemed to ponder his next question, rolling his tongue in his mouth thoughtfully. "What's my nervous tick?"

Dick snorted. "You talk too fast for people to understand you. You always blame it on the speed, but Iris says you've done it your whole life."

"No need to go for the throat." Wally chuckled.

Level nine, than. God this had to be Wally. Surely. But he had to be  _ sure  _ it shouldn't be  _ possible. _

"Why is my nickname Dick? And how old was I when I learned what it meant?"

He could  _ feel _ the other Titans look at each other. They'd all asked him this question, and Dick had never answered.

Wally outright laughed, eyes sparkling. "Because English isn't your first language. Your parents didn't speak fluently and didn't realize the word meant something." He shook his head slowly with a grin on his face, "You were 8, or maybe 9, when you found out, because somehow I was the first one to tell you."

Dick's heart fluttered. Fuck this had to be his Wally. Wait, _ his? _

Wally's next question made Dick feel slightly sick. He pointed to the scar just below his hairline. "How did I get this scar, and what happened afterwards?"

The two had stopped walking at this point. They simply stood, staring intently at each other with the air between them like fire.

Dick swallowed. "Broken beer bottle. I saw your dad give it to you. You had to grab me and run back to Gotham to keep me from breaking his shins."

Wally nodded, eyes sad but that same smile still on his lips. "I may have never left that house if you hadn't insisted on telling batman."

God, level ten. This was it. Something  _ only  _ Wally would know. Dick felt sick: If Wally knew this, everything was about to change.

He couldn't decide if he wanted Wally to pass or fail, and which would be easier for him to handle.

Dick took a deep breath, having to close his eyes to get the words out. He couldn't stand to see Wally's face, didn't know what he'd find there and too afraid to find out.

"What is my birth name?"

There was silence for a beat, but Dick was still too afraid to open his eyes.

"If you think I'm about to dead name my best friend, you've got another thing coming."

Dick acted before his brain caught up. His eyes were barely open before he threw himself at Wally, arms around his shoulders and face buried in his neck. Wally hugged him tight to his chest without a moment's hesitation.

Dick tried to hold back the tears, he really did, but God it was just too much. He shook with the force of his sobs, Wally petting his bare back to sooth him.

"I'm here, big bird," Wally muttered into the younger man's shoulder, "I've got you. It's okay."

It took a few shuddering gasps for Dick to find his words again. "How? Where? Walls, it's been  _ years,  _ do you know how much I cried for you? How much we  _ all _ cried for you?"

Wally shushed him gently, sitting down in Dick's favorite armchair and pulling the other man into his lap. Dick didn't care that he was half naked, just outed himself, and in a room with three other people. He didn't care about anything right now but  _ Wally. _ His best friend who he had missed more than anything for  _ five years  _ was here in his arms again, and that was all that mattered now.

He happily settled into the larger man's lap, curling against his chest and tucking his head under Wally's chin.

"I know it's been too long, God I'm so sorry Dickie." Wally murmured, "The speed force is… so confusing. I came out the other side in a whole 'nother universe and it's taken so long to get back home." His voice strained with unshed tears, making Dick shake even harder.

The smaller man pulled away just enough to meet Wally's gaze: the green eyes he missed so much stared wetly back at him with sorrow and happiness swirling in their emerald depths.

"The speed force didn't absorb you…" Dick choked out, "You… rode it like a river."

"And I kept riding it," Wally continued, "God, going fast enough to jump universes is so hard, it takes  _ so much,  _ or else I'd have just kept running until I found my way home. I found so many worlds, some like ours, some nothing like ours…" he voice broke, and he swallowed, looking away.

Dick took Wally's head in his hands and gently turned his gaze to meet his again. Tears were streaking down Wally's cheeks now, which only made Dick's tears fall faster.

How had crying ever been hard? He used to feel like he needed to cry but couldn't make himself do it. Now, he couldn't stop, even if he wanted to.

"There are so many Dick Graysons out there," Wally stuttered out, voice wavering, "Most of them didn't even know me. Never met a Wally West in their life. But now… fuck, Dickie."

Wally pulled Dick hard to his chest again, burying his nose in Dick's soft hair. "I finally found you.  _ My  _ Dick Grayson."

Dick's heart swelled, and he found himself laughing at the feeling, despite the tears still staining his face. "Don't let Artemis hear you say that."

Wally pulled away to meet Dick's gaze again, smile still dazzling but not reaching his eyes.

"It's been five years, Rob." Wally reminded, "Artemis moved on."

Dick's gaze softened in sympathy. "But you didn't."

"And neither did you." Wally countered, leaning forward so their foreheads touched.

"He really didn't." Kori cut in, and the two men looked at see her filing her nails with that same smirk on her face.

Rachel had that mushy look teen girls get when they watch romance movies, where as Gar had the exhausted look teen boys get when forced to watch said movies.

Wally's laughter set off a chain reaction in the room, causing the Titans to burst into their barely contained giggles as well. Dick flushed deeply with embarrassment, curling up into Wally's chest to hide from his shame.

"This does explain his huge abandonment thing." Raven comments off-handly.

"Na, he's always been that way. Comes with being raised by an emotionally distant sociopath." Wally grins at the girl, and she dissolved into a fit of giggles once again.

Dick lets out an involuntary whine in the back of his throat, the femininity of the sound sending the room into uproarious laughter. Dick whimpered with undisguised shame, and curl impossibly closer in on himself.

Wally takes pity on the poor man, gently forcing him away from his chest and taking his face between his hands. His next words are whispered, too low for the mocking teens to hear.

"You've always been this way. Tactile, almost touch starved, but too embarrassed to ask for affection. It's why we work so well together. I lay all over you, touch your shoulders, play with your hair. You don't have to ask, so you don't have to be afraid." Wally kisses Dick's forehead, something he's never done before. Dick feels heat rush to his face, though it's less about shame now.

"I guess this explains why you and Kori could never seal the deal." Gar snarks.

Dick extracts himself from Wally enough to fix Garfield with a mischievous look, ready to volley with his banter rather than hide from it.

"Oh we sealed the deal alright." Dick grinned, "All night long, 3 times a night, four days a week. Ever heard of friends with benefits, kid?"

It didn't matter that that was a massive exaggeration of the twos track record, it had the desired effect.

"Oh God, stop." Rachel groaned. "It's like picturing my parents have sex!"

For her part, Kori just chuckled and raised her eyebrows at Dick.

Dick responded by waggling his eyebrows right back, making the alien laugh again.

"Wait but… how did? But you and him…?" The green metahuman was absolutely speechless, looking back and forth between Kori and Wally.

Wally cackled. "Bisexuality is a thing, kiddo"

Gar blinked, looking sheepish, keeping his head low. But he still forced out the question. "I'm sorry, a lot just happened and I'm trying to get it but… he said something about dead naming you? Does that mean what I…?"

Poor Garfield was trying so hard not be offensive to Dick, he felt paternal love clench in his chest. God, when did he become such a dad? He's too young for this.

"Yes, Gar, I'm transgender. I think you're the only one in the room who didn't know, given everyone else has at least accidently seen me naked before." Dick snorted.

Gar made a face. "Okay, ew." He shook his head "But… your chest? I thought… shit, I'm sorry this sounds wrong, I don't like,  _ care _ , but-"

"He's asking why you don't have top surgery scars, Dickie." Wally cut in, giving the young boy a sympathetic look.

Gar nodded furiously, ducking his head in shame.

Dick gave him a paternal smile, finally standing up from Wally's lap. He stretched his arms over his head, his back audibly cracking.

"I'm a rare case, I get it, Gar." Dick finally answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was raised in a circus where gender was barely a construct and knew who I was and what my real name was by the time I was taken in by Bruce." He shrugged, "And at that point I had a foster dad who tried to substitute money for an actual relationship, so I started blockers at 9 and testosterone at 15. Didn't need anything removed cause nothing ever grew in." Dick motioned vaguely to his chest, where surgical scars would be visible on his golden skin. While yes, he was scarred, none of them were the clean lines of surgery, and there was not a single sign of femininity to his features.

"Right, right, cause if you'd been uh, able to bleed… like that… I'd have uh. Smelled it." Gar babbled, blush visible even under his green skin.

"Ew!" Rachel exclaimed, looking at her teammate in horror.

"Oh, lay off, Rach." Dick said with a roll of his eyes, "He can't help he has animal senses. I'm sure he'd prefer  _ not  _ being able to smell your period if he had that option."

"I really would." Gar grumbled, looking up at Raven sheepishly from under his lashes.

"I take back what I said about you not moving on." Wally jeered, getting up and draping himself around Dick's shoulders, "Artemis found a new boytoy, but you got a nice little family going on here, GrayDAD."

Dick groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"If the team's gotten bigger we need a new place," Kori huffed, "finding a four bedroom under the radar was hard enough."

Wally smiled, tightening his arms around Dick's middle and resting his head on his shoulder. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it. Dickie-bird and I have been sharing since we were kids, I'm sure he won't mind sharing a bed with me."

Dick smiled back, turning his head to nuzzle at Wally's cheek. His chest felt fit to bursting, and for the first time he truly felt like he had everything he could ever want right in front of him. "Yeah," he muttered into his partner's freckled skin, "I wouldn't mind at all."

**Author's Note:**

> I realize I made Dick both Romani (low key) and trans in the same fic.  
> As someone who is 12 minorities at once, you can see why I called this self-indulgent.  
> Also Wally dies in MANY stories so this isn't about his Young Justice TV show death specifically. I mushed Wally's theme of going too fast and becoming the speed force with flashpoint universe hopping. It seemed less contrived when I started writing.  
> Please be gentle in the comments. <3


End file.
